Chennai delays digital again

India’s information & broadcasting ministry has again delayed the analogue-to-digital switchover date for residents of Chennai, one of India’s four largest cities.

Chennai should have converted all of its cable TV systems to digital earlier this summer, then further extensions were given to October, then again to November 5th. All these dates have been missed.

Now cable MSOs have until December 31st, but cable operators have to swear affidavits that this new date will be met. A Madras high court hearing, however, heard that some MSOs have yet to order (or make available to the market) adequate numbers of digital set-top boxes to complete the conversion process.

The court was told that around 3 million homes would possibly go dark if more time was not granted for the conversion process. Chennai’s official position is that the city is already 86 per cent ‘converted’ either via cable or by DTH reception.